Man Crashes On Interstate- Dumps 35 Pounds of Pot On The Highway – Held on $25,000 Bond

Early Friday morning, 61 year-old Steven Spanbauer was driving from Spokane on his way to Coon Rapids, Minnesota, when he rolled his pickup truck at mile marker 89 and nearly 35 pounds of marijuana, packaged in dozens of plastic bags, spilled out onto the highway.

Missoula County Sheriff's deputies responded and discovered that Spanbauer not only was in possession of 35 pounds of pot, but also many marijuana 'edibles', that he was transporting for someone he described as 'a dealer', whom he refused to name. He was taken into custody and appeared in Missoula Justice Court Friday afternoon.

"As you know from reading the affidavit, the defendant crashed his truck on an off ramp, and bags of marijuana were scattered about," Koepke said. "He admitted to transporting about 35 pounds of marijuana, which was packaged in 70 one-half pound bags, along with numerous edible marijuana products. He was driving from Washington to somewhere east that he would not disclose, and he admitted that he was carrying the drugs for a dealer, and he did not disclose that person.He has no ties to Montana, and would be an extreme flight risk and is a danger to the community."

Judge Orzech sat bail for Stanbauer at $25,000, and remanded him to the Missoula County Jail. His next court appearance will be May 20.